I am encouraged by the number of letters that appeared in malaysiakini debating the issue of Tamil schools. As someone educated in an estate Tamil school and had the privilege of having taught in one, please allow me to present my views on this issue.

The general perception among the Indian middle and upper class professionals that Tamil schools lack basic amenities and are in deplorable condition is simply not true.

This erroneous belief stems from the number of news reports that is carried by our print media. These are in fact isolated cases rather than being representative of the state of Tamil schools in general.

While intentions of these reports were noble, however they have unfortunately created an unfavourable impression that all Tamil schools have inadequate facilities.

I know this would invite scepticism among some but please do observe the Tamil school in your neighbourhood or even those in rural areas, and you will be surprised.

The second misconception is that the quality, motivation and commitment of teachers in Tamil school are low. I still have very fond memories of my primary school years and the teachers there were the finest educators.

I would rank, on the average the level of quality, motivation and commitment of the Tamil schoolteachers above those in national schools (but below the Chinese educators).

In my previous letters on the subject of national education system, I have mentioned that the standard of national schools have rapidly plummeted due to various reasons.

But on the other hand when you talk to and observe Tamil schoolteachers you would notice that majority are still educators at heart and that they fully realise the critical importance of their contribution to the process of nation building and the uplifting of the social and economic condition of the Indian community.

Sadly this social consciousness is lacking among many teachers in national schools. To make matters worse, the principals and teachers there tend to consider these schools as sekolah Melayu (Malay schools) rather than sekolah kebangsaan (national schools).

As such the non-Malay students studying in national schools are often forced to put up with discriminatory rules and regulations as well as generally receive less attention, sensitiveness and care. This is even more so in the case of Indian students.

This is one of the main reasons why the enrolment of non-Malay students in national schools has been steadily and worryingly declining, while the reverse happens for vernacular schools.

The third misconception is the performance of Tamil school students. Some writers have pointed out the positive aspects of the result while others highlighted the negative side. My view is that we should view this issue in a broader context.

The performance of Tamil schools in the past has always been poor. However in recent years, the results have begun to show a positive and improving trend.

To compare the result of Tamil schools against others in individual subjects in a negative light is unfair and only goes to show ones lack of understanding on the subject matter. The result of non-Tamil schools have been rather consistent in most subjects while Tamil schools have been making rapid progress.

The credit for this transformation must go to the teachers, parents, the students and organisations such as MIC and a number of NGOs. The teachers, as I have mentioned earlier, must be given credit for playing a huge part in this with their selfless work far beyond the call of duty.

Unlike their counterparts in Chinese schools they dont get paid extra for their work after working hours or during holidays. But they still are willing to sacrifice their time for the sake of the students and the community.

Many middle and upper class professionals, realising the importance of mother-tongue education and/or the problems faced by Indian students at the national schools, are beginning to enrol their children in Tamil schools. This in turn has directly contributed to the quality of Tamil schools students.

Although I am apolitical, I consider the criticism levelled against MIC to be rather unfair. I am commenting on MIC as a social organisation rather than MIC the political party.

Whatever our opinion of that political party, the improving quality of Tamil schools owes much to the untiring work of MIC members at all levels, from the national leadership to the ordinary members.

People who question the efforts of MIC are plainly ignorant of the efforts that have been put on the ground. Of course, there is much more that MIC needs to accomplish but one has to consider the socio-economic and political equilibrium of the country and the fact that the national education is still a sensitive subject which needs to be handled carefully.

If MIC did fail in certain aspects when fighting the cause of Tamil schools, it is certainly not due to lack of effort. After all MIC is just a microcosm of the Indian community and as such does not possess the financial resources or the clout of the Chinese based political and educational organisations.

The effort of MIC, as far as the development of Tamil schools and education are concerned, deserves the support of all Malaysian Indians regardless of their political afflictions.

A number of NGOs too have worked equally hard and unselfishly in the propagation of Tamil education, mostly behind the scenes and with little or no publicity in the mainstream media.

However it is still too early to celebrate as there is much which needs to be done before Tamil schools can compete academically with others.

One of the key issues that is being fought by the MIC is the classification of all Tamil schools to sekolah bantuan penuh (fully aided schools). This would mean that these schools would be fully supported by the government financially.

This is crucial as the Indian community is still economically backward. If this proposal is accepted then it would be a major victory for the community and would ensure a brighter future for Tamil education and the Indian community in general.

But external efforts alone would not suffice as parents and students too have to play their part. The awareness on the importance of education is crucial and in this respect the Indian community has much to learn from their Chinese counterparts.

Also Indian professionals (and politicians) must discard their preconceived notions of the inferiority of Tamil schools and start sending their children to them.